A. Plan of the Investigation
This investigation seeks to evaluate the circumstances that led to the Sino-Soviet “split”
during the Cold War. The main body of this investigation will assess the political and ideological
relations, national interests, as well as varying views of regimes between China (PRC) and the
Soviet Union (USSR). The split devastated the international communist movement while laying
down the path that would later spark relations between China and the United States in 1971. Two
sources, Sino-Soviet Crisis Politics: A Study of Political Change and Communication by Richard
Wich, and The Sino-Soviet Territorial Dispute written by Tai Sung An, will be evaluated
throughout this investigation for their origins, purposes, values, and limitations.
B. …show more content…
Meanwhile, another major cause of the Sino-Soviet split were the disagreements that
arose from the emergence of the Cultural Revolution in China in 1966. Mao started this social-
political movement as a means of purging political rivals from Communist China. The goal of
the Cultural Revolution5 was to preserve the Communist ideology by ridding the society of
capitalist and traditional relics and elements. Sacred statues of the Buddha had their faces
destroyed whereas traditional Chinese books were burned in massive piles. From 1958 to 1961,
China embarked on a disastrous program to improve steel production known as the Great Leap
Forward6. However, the program was a failure, striking famine and death among millions of
civilians. By implementing the revolution, Mao signified his return to power after his plan’s
disastrous failure.
The Cultural Revolution strained the Sino-Soviet relationship, particularly the political
relations between China and Russia as the debate on Maoism vs. Marxism-Leninism7 further
4 2, Soon
5 99, An
6 156,
This investigation seeks to evaluate the circumstances that led to the Sino-Soviet “split”
during the Cold War. The main body of this investigation will assess the political and ideological
relations, national interests, as well as varying views of regimes between China (PRC) and the
Soviet Union (USSR). The split devastated the international communist movement while laying
down the path that would later spark relations between China and the United States in 1971. Two
sources, Sino-Soviet Crisis Politics: A Study of Political Change and Communication by Richard
Wich, and The Sino-Soviet Territorial Dispute written by Tai Sung An, will be evaluated
throughout this investigation for their origins, purposes, values, and limitations.
B. …show more content…
Meanwhile, another major cause of the Sino-Soviet split were the disagreements that
arose from the emergence of the Cultural Revolution in China in 1966. Mao started this social-
political movement as a means of purging political rivals from Communist China. The goal of
the Cultural Revolution5 was to preserve the Communist ideology by ridding the society of
capitalist and traditional relics and elements. Sacred statues of the Buddha had their faces
destroyed whereas traditional Chinese books were burned in massive piles. From 1958 to 1961,
China embarked on a disastrous program to improve steel production known as the Great Leap
Forward6. However, the program was a failure, striking famine and death among millions of
civilians. By implementing the revolution, Mao signified his return to power after his plan’s
disastrous failure.
The Cultural Revolution strained the Sino-Soviet relationship, particularly the political
relations between China and Russia as the debate on Maoism vs. Marxism-Leninism7 further
4 2, Soon
5 99, An
6 156,